How we work

Before starting activities in an area, our teams conduct independent evaluations to determine medical needs and assess what assistance to provide. Different criteria determine what we do, such as the magnitude of a given crisis, the levels of illness and deaths in a community, the severity of exclusion from healthcare, and the added value we can bring to affected people. We regularly question the form, relevance, and impact of our presence, taking into account what other organisations do.
 

Temoignage, bearing witness and speaking out

Our proximity to people in distress implies a duty to raise awareness to improve their situation.

Our teams may witness violence, atrocities, and neglect in the course of their work. Témoignage – translated from French as ‘bearing witness’ – is the act of raising awareness, either in private or in public, about what we see happening in front of us. At times, MSF may speak out publicly to bring a forgotten crisis into view, or to denounce abuse, or challenge the diversion of assistance, or to call out policies that restrict access to medical care or essential medicines.

Our Speaking Out case studies provide a historical reflection on key events in MSF history, and which examine and analyse our actions and decision making.

Logistics: the cornerstone of our operations

Thousands of logisticians in our projects make sure that everything runs smoothly. From maintaining the cold chain during vaccination campaigns, to servicing vehicles; from organising the provision of water and sanitation in a camp, to setting up a field hospital - logistics is what makes our work possible.

Our supply centres in France, Belgium and the Netherlands (plus their regional hubs) dispatch pre-packaged kits, supplies and medicines needed for treating patients and running programmes. They guarantee the safety of medical and non-medical supplies, and deliver what our teams need, wherever needed and when they need it.

The MSF Academy for Healthcare

Events such as the 2013-2016 West Africa Ebola epidemic and the COVID-19 pandemic took a severe toll on healthcare workers, killing thousands. In addition, many of the countries in which we work are affected by conflict and crises which can lead to a shortage of qualified healthcare staff. The MSF Academy for Healthcare focuses on strengthening the skills and competencies of healthcare workers in 35 countries where MSF works.

Through competency-based curricula based on theoretical knowledge, workplace practice, and clinical mentoring and tutoring, we train and teach medical and paramedical workers, contributing to long-lasting improvements to the quality of care available in the most hard-hit countries, and to progressively diminish the footprint of international presence.

Reflection centres

Critical reviews and reflection centres

With more than 50 years of on-the-ground experience as an emergency and humanitarian aid organisation, and as part of our need to reflect critically on our actions and improve our ways of working, several reflection centres have been set up within MSF.

Their role is mainly to reflect and challenge our humanitarian and medical actions, draw lessons-learned and ways forward for future operations, and support advocacy efforts, while also inspiring debate inside MSF and beyond.

The centres conduct direct studies and analysis of MSF actions, but also don't shy away from pointing out other gaps in the humanitarian system at large. Themes explored may include migration, refugees, aid access, and health policies.